IPO Atlanta 2016

 
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Artists From Atlanta/Athens

 
Steve Baskin – A South Georgia native who offers a unique blend of smart, energetic pop and Americana rock n’ roll, and has over the years shared the stage with various Grammy winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, including Sam Moore, Percy Sledge, The Shirelles, and The Beach Boys. His latest release, Dead Rock Star, was named the Best Pop/Hard Rock Album of 2015 by Akademia Music Awards and has also been hailed by Absolute Power Pop as his best yet!
 
The Black Sundays – The Black Sundays grew out of wide musical influences: Everything from the Posies and XTC to Nada Surf and Matt Pond can be heard on their debut, The Resonate EP. A revolving musical cast based around singer-songwriter Patrick Finn, The Black Sundays recall the best of ‘90s alternapop while staying in touch with contemporary sounds. Emerging from the Texas BritPop scene, Finn currently makes his home in Atlanta, and Texas’ loss is most definitely Atlanta’s gain!
 

Matt Brown (of Uncle Green) and Friends – IPO is honored to host a special performance by one of the main men of Uncle Green! In their heyday in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Uncle Green built a reputation on the then-burgeoning college-radio circuit for tight, memorable melodies and offbeat songcraft — something like R.E.M. and Pylon having a couple PBRs, well chilled, with Big Star. Check out any of their seven albums from the ‘80s and ‘90s, as well as their long-abandoned, but finally released magnum opus Rycopa, and come to Matt’s IPO showcase to see and hear what surprises and musical delights he and his friends have cooked up now!
 
Ray Dafrico & His Band – A founding member of Kathleen Turner Overdrive, Kickstand, and The Shanghai Gesture, Dafrico has been a fixture on the local (and national) power pop scene for quite a while, having also toured or shared the stage with such note worthies as The Clash, The Ramones, REM, and The Smithereens! If you need your daily dose of classic power pop hooks, you need look no further than his latest CD, Solo Au Go Go, and his IPO showcase!
 
Brent Daniel – Purveyor of hook-filled “basement powerpop” reminiscent of The Replacements, The Raspberries, or Big Star, combined with chord changes worthy of the likes of Jason Falkner, Daniel has been a force in the local power pop scene as a member of Talkshow, Circle of Fins, MessMakers, Ready Set Go and Art House Cinema (to name but a few!). The Art House Cinema disc has earned him both new fans worldwide and critical acclaim, and he’s putting the finishing touches on Twin Soul Sunday, the new album from his latest group, Zen Time, which is set for release in January 2017 – watch for it!
 
Golden Eels – Sprung from the mind of main man, Neil Golden, Golden Eels’ debut album, Periscopes in the Air, spins lo-fi harmony-drenched melodic tales of kitty cats, bathtime fun, fickle love and scrambled eggs. Fans of Captain Beefheart, Sun Ra, and Nicky Hopkins will dig it!
 
The Good Graces – Formed by singer-songwriter Kim Ware in 2006, The Good Graces recently released their third full-length album — entitled Close to the Sun, the diverse collection of catchy songs explores a variety of styles and genres, from folk and alt. country to ‘90s-inspired indie pop. Kim’s song “Under the Weather” recently won the “Searchlight” indie song competition from “In Search of a Song,” a national radio series that interviews world class artists about songwriting, and the band and were hand-picked by The Indigo Girls to support some Midwest and Southeast shows during their 2015 summer tour! How’s that for world class?!
 
Kenny Howes & The Wow – Mr. Howes comes to IPO armed with his collection of Rickenbackers and six outstanding CDs. His style never fails to combine Matthew Sweet, Beatles, and Beach Boys influences in a new and imaginative way. Tornadoes Here & Past, his latest CD and the first with his current band, The Wow, was well worth the wait for his many delighted fans and critics alike!
 
The Joe & Joe Show – The “other” band of Joe Scinta of The Soogs (see below) delivers hooky powerpop with just the right touch of quirkiness that will have you dancing and laughing at the same time! Their Faster Than A Married Man EP will appeal to fans of artists from Cheap Trick and The Knack to Zappa and The Talking Heads!
 
Lord High Admirals – A new quirky pop combo who sail the seven seas from their kitchen tables. But more importantly for us, they also write and play some catchy guitar pop! Fans of They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies should check them out!
 
Chris McKay – As the leader of The Critical Darlings, McKay earned a reputation and a worldwide fan base for his re-imagination of ‘70s and ‘80s inspired power pop, earning comparisons to such luminaries as The Knack, The Raspberries, and Big Star, and garnering radio play on over 150 stations worldwide. As a testament to the crunchy goodness of his tunes, The Critical Darlings’ 2nd album, Satisfactionista, was sold out before its official release! McKay’s first solo EP, All Day Face, pops and rocks even harder! We can’t wait for a full length album!
 
Paul Melancon & the New Insecurities – Melancon crafts literate, moody, indie-pop music beautifully brought to life with his band The New Insecurities. “His is the kind of pop that’s not afraid to use more than three chords, and complex ones at that, leaving the listener humming along to a beautiful simple melody… in a category with the most talented of indie-pop singer-songwriters.” (Paste Magazine) His tools are the bittersweet melody, lyrical depth, and sardonic wit found in fellow artists such as Michael Penn, Neil Finn and Elvis Costello. When whipped into a frenzy, he can shake and pop like a drunk Nick Lowe. Check out their recently released Super Rocket X-1 EP, and their IPO showcase to hear and see for yourself!
 
Netherglades – The latest project of garage rock legend Bruce Joyner, whose musical journey has taken him from the plantation streets of south Georgia in the mid-50s to the punk clubs of LA (as the main man of The Unknowns) and Paris in the early ‘80s, and back again to the Atlanta rock scene of NOW. Netherglades offers down & dirty rock n’ roll and gothic swamp rock at its finest, and their show is guaranteed to be one helluva good time!
 
Orange Hat – An exuberantly quirky pop quartet led by Zeus Henderson, and featuring Lee Flier of What The…? (see below). They seamlessly blend influences from Zappa to Brian Wilson to The Beatles to The B-52s and elements of funk and ska into a heady psychedelic concoction of sound and sight (they’re known for their colorful stage shows) that is absolutely infectious!
 
Pelicans and Their Allies – A nerdy playfulness is the backbone of Pelicans and Their Allies’ music. The duo of Robert Higgs and Dayana Yochim produce smart, quirky indie pop that crosses varied terrains, from pretty and subtly melancholic to full of big drums and pop hooks. To continue expanding their sound, Yochim often combs through thrift stores in search of musical oddities. A multitude of instruments – violin, glockenspiel, melodica, various toy organs and keyboards, electric guitars, and percussion – can be heard in each song on their self-titled EP. One of the most charming new bands we’ve heard in quite a while, and we can’t wait to see them live at IPO again!
 
The Shut-Ups – A five-piece new wave and power pop band whose music will instantly put a smile on your face and set your toes to tapping! Fans of artists such as They Might Be Giants, Sparks, Randy Newman, Adam Ant, and The Cars will dig their latest album, (which is actually a compilation of their four proper albums) cheekily entitled A Layman’s Guide to The Shut-Ups!
 
The Soogs – The Soogs have played in and around Atlanta on and off since 1991, and we’re pleased to welcome them back to IPO, where their hooky brand of alterna-pop fits right in! The Soogs’ music has been described as “The Pixies meet The Partridge Family,” but will also appeal to fans of T Rex, Cheap Trick, and The Cars! Come to their IPO showcase, and hear what we mean!
 
The Stoplight Roses – Taking their name from the Nick Lowe song, and with a nod to The Jesus of Cool’s vintage style of songwriting, The Stoplight Roses combine equal measures garage, power-pop, indie rock, and country. Their new single, Starlight, is now available!
 
What The…? – Atlanta-based trio What The…? takes you on a journey that runs the length and breadth of rock ‘n roll, from classic Brit Invasion to roots-rock/rockabilly to finely crafted power pop to practically punk, as can be heard on their latest CD, You Have No Idea. They have also been instrumental in helping to organize IPO in Atlanta in each year that we’ve held it here, for which we are truly grateful!
 
 

Artists From Outside of Atlanta/Athens

 
Tony Low – A founding member of New York’s renowned garage-psychedelic pop band The Cheepskates, and currently residing in Greensboro, North Carolina, Low has been honing his craft of writing and recording memorable tunes as a solo performer since 1998. His unique blend of folk-rock and power pop brings to mind such influences as Big Star, XTC, Neil Young and The Byrds, and captures a timeless spirit of beauty, sadness, and joy which everyone can relate to. His new album, Rendezvousing, is a collection of twelve songs based on true stories, and takes the listener on a journey that spans loneliness, joy, despair, searching for love and the inevitable meeting of one’s destiny, whether happy or tragic. Check it out now!